Producing moire designs



Patented Aug. 31, 1948 August Holterhoi'i', Weehauken, N. J. No Drawing. Application April 14, 1941,

Serial No. 741,413

2 Claims. I

This invention relates to improvements in the art concerning moir fabrics.

One object of the invention is to provide an improved process for producing moir designs in a manner which is far more rapid than that afforded by previous methods and without the di-f-' iiculties and drawbacks involved in the same.

The moir designs are frequently produced in fabrics by the so-called scratch" and Francais bar" methods. Of these the former was adapted for figured designs of infinite variation and hence was more popular. This scratch" method involves disturbing the weave of the fabric by impact of resilient steel blades in the pattern or design areas. Although the fabric was cushioned by a rubber roller the impacts abraded the yarn and frequently damaged the weave. In fact,

holes were often produced in the goods by this operation. 'However, such is the beauty of mir designs that the defects referred to were often accepted. The dimculties mentioned were particularly severe in fabrics made of cellulose acetate, the yarns of which tend to break because of'lack of resilience to the impact of the blades. This condition was somewhat alleviated by wetting this fabric.

It is. therefore, an object of the invention to furnish moir fabrics in figure designs and methods of making the same which shall be free of these difficulties and limitations. By my improved method, the scratch process and the impact blades are wholly eliminated in the production of figured patterns on all those fabrics which were previously dependent upon the "scratch" process for this type of pattern.

These fabrics may contain natural yarns, such as cotton and silk or artificial yarns such as viscose rayon, acetate rayon, and others.

The invention is further applicable to fabrics of natural yarns and having a plastic component forming a part thereof or impregnated thereinto.

Generally described, the invention comprises the formation in a fabric of design pattern areas of a specific nature suitable for consequent doubling and moir finishing by the conventional heat and pressure operation.

The design or pattern impression according to the invention is produced with the aid of heat, moisture and tension, the .conioint action of which produces an adequate setting of thepattern in the fabric with the heat and tension being applied in such a manner as to cause instantaneous drying and warping of the threads of the fabric. The moisture is applied to certain regions forming the 'pattem areas and the rest of the fabric being maintained relatively dry, in this thoroughly dry condition, the fabric is folded double and subjected to heat and pressure to produce the moir finish by cooperation between the design areas of the different folded sections.

More particularly described, anyfabric suitable for treatment in accordance with the invention is first wetted or moistened to increase the moisture content of certain portions thereof or within predetermined pattern areas.

In order that the moisture be supplied solely to such areas as prescribed by the pattern a wetted roller may be used with raised portions of the requiste design or a stencil or an engraved printing roller may be employed or a hand sponge or brush or any combination of the above. By

' mentioning these different means for performing the operation it is not intended to exclude other means. The moistening agent may have various degrees of viscosity. Thus it may contain a suitable thinning or wetting agent to retard the penetration and the diffusion of the moisture in the fabric beyond the design or pattern areas.

After moistening, the falbric is placed under tension. and quickly dried, by the application of heat, while under tension.

It is thepurpose of this invention to utilize the characteristics of practically all textile fibers to possess different properties while in the wet and in the dry state.

The applied tension, while exerting the same force on both wet and dry portions of the same fabrics causes different effects on the former than it does on the latter causing, for instance, a wet viscose rayon to stretch, while the dry component possessing higher tensile strength will resist the tension and retain its original length and structure. When then dried in this manner the stretched or distorted portions retain their new positions achieving what was. formerly accomplished by more strenuous mechanical means.

The heat is preferably applied by suitable medesisn impression. Now the fabric may be run designs also extending through the stripe areas,

and to a lesser degree in adjacent parts of the fabric, with the appearance of the st tending to become lost in the over-all moir effect. It will be perceived that the process is capable of producing an infinite number and-variety of figured-cdesigns. V

I claim: 1

1. The method of producing moire pattern effacts in fabrics comprising moistenins the fabric in confined pattern areas. applying tension to the fabric. drying the fabric while maintainlns tension. folding the fabric double. and applying heat and pressure-to produce the finished moir effect. I

2. The method of producing moir pattern effects in fabrics according to claim 1 in which the fabrics are moistened with liquids of different viscosity.

' AUGUST HOL'IERHOFF.

nnrrmnncns crrnn' The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS OTHER REFERENCES I Harmuth, "Dictionary of Textiles" (2d ed, 1929,

Fairchild Pub. CO.) p ge 113. 

